Sunday, April 6, 2008

My Mate Marmite

I have a new favorite thing! Marmite and tofu "cottage cheese" on toast. That's what I had for breakfast on Friday and Saturday morning.

A while back, Steph from Poopie Bitch blogged about Marmite, the yeast extract spread popular in England. In her comment section, I asked where to find it in the States. She didn't know, but since her husband is British, she apparantly has a surplus. So she brought me a jar at Thursday's Food Awareness meeting.

She warned that I may not like it and that it was really salty. I eat bouillion cubes and seasoning salt straight from the bottle (I know, I know, that's a lot of sodium), so I was sure I'd love it. And I do! It tastes like yeasty veggie stock seasoning. The key is spreading it really thin.

Marmite is a great source of B vitmins, especially riboflavin and B12 (which vegans need to be certain to get). The jar suggests spreading it on toast with cottage cheese. So I googled "tofu cottage cheese" and found a recipe that called for tofu, Veganaise, and a pinch of sugar.

I didn't measure anything out because I only made enough to spread on a couple slices of toast. But I used about a fourth block of tofu, about a tablespoon of Veganaise, a tiny pour of soymilk (to give it that liquidy consistancy that cottage cheese has), and just a teensy pinch of sugar. It tasted JUST LIKE cottage cheese ... or at least what I remember it tasting like.

My mom loves marmite (she's a huge fan of salt, hence her high blood pressure) and I tried it once as a child. Haven't tried it since. The taste was just far too strong for my young tastebuds. I think I'll have to give it another try! (I'm sure my mom won't mind buying a jar)

I tried marmite once, when I was younger. (My mom went to England and brought some back.) I remember spitting it right out, it wasn't what I was expecting at all! Though if I came accross it now,I'd be willing to give it another shot!

Over here Marmite is VERY expensive. So when I went to the Netherlands two years ago I bought three yars and payed as much as I would have paid for one in Germany. I still have some. I like it as a seasoning in soups and cashew cheese. I couldn't eat it straight from the jar though :)

Yay Marmite! I had some just this morning - although without the tofu cottage cheese. I have got to try that out though, thanks for the recipe!

I know, the rain was crazy last week! I had to deliver the wedding cake in West Memphis, so going over the bridge was a sight for sure - I don't remember ever seeing the water reach that far before. I'm glad the sun is finally out again!

Four cats?! YOU must have a huge heart too! I wish I could adopt a cat-- I've always wanted a black one (screw the old-wives-tale that they bring bad luck!). But my mom and sister are allergic, and my new apartment won't allow pets. So I guess I'm going to have to wait a while longer. In the meantime, I have a black dog that sometimes ACTS like a cat! (She hates water, and she likes to climb and to scratch things.)

I almost picked up a jar of marmite the other day, I used to keep it in my pantry regularly for a "beefy" seitan recipe, but have someone stopped stapling it for whatever reason. Glad to see you enjoying it straight out of the jar.

My name is Bianca ...

About Me

I'm a 9-year vegan, 19-year vegetarian from the Mid-South, not too far from the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. And that means cornbread, butter beans, and collard greens.
These days, I live in Memphis. Check out my cookbook — Cookin' Crunk. It's filled with yummilicious veganized soul food and country classics.